THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 27 



hill towards the sea is in many places very abrupt ; this formation 

 was evidently occasioned by the encroaching waters. Between 

 the river and Point Roadknight there are only three places where 

 the hill slopes into the sea, each ending in a mass of rocks. Thus 

 the shore line forms four small bays, each enclosed by rocky 

 points. 



A gentleman, evidently a geologist, whom I accidentally 

 encountered, informed me that the second point, called the Flat 

 Rocks, contained many interesting specimens. Just above these 

 rocks I found another rather uncommon plant, one of the 

 Sterculiacege, Thomasia petalocalyx. A curious phenomenon may 

 be seen here ; the whole side of the hill above these rocks, con- 

 taining about 40 acres, has slipped down for several feet. I did 

 not go up to measure the exact depression, but judging from the 

 perpendicular wall exposed near the top of the hill, where the 

 mass broke off, I should imagine it has fallen about 12 feet. 



A rather amusing incident occurred at these rocks. Our party 

 had decided on a picnic to Point Roadknight, and I strolled on 

 before, being botanically inclined. I was so interested that I 

 took no note of the time. Looking at my watch I found it was 

 t2 noon, and I turned back to look for the rest of the party. At 

 length I arrived at the Flat Rocks, and there I discovered them 

 perched on some isolated rocks. Between us was a mass of 

 foaming water, for the tide had risen, and we were completely 

 separated. I tried vainly to reach them by scrambling up the 

 hill, intending to slide down the loose bank, but my courage 

 failed me — I might get a sprained ankle or a broken leg, so I 

 returned to the rock. Through the noise of the surf we could 

 occasionally exchange ideas, but, alas ! not even a biscuit could 

 I get, whilst I had the pleasure of sitting there for two hours 

 and a half watching them reading novels and munching biscuits. 



Point Roadknight presents many interesting features to the 

 naturalist. It is composed of a narrow ridge of rocks and sand 

 protruding into the sea a distance of six or seven hundred yards. 

 The first part is a loose sand hummock covered with Banksias 

 and Tea-trees, and kept together by immense tufts of two species 

 of Cyperaceas, Lejndosperma gladiatum and Ghorizandra enodis. 

 Further on the rock becomes more and more evident, until at 

 length there are only perpendicular rocks, weathered into the 

 most fantastic forms, such as tiny castles, arches, or pointed 

 spires, one very curious form representing a statue of a dog 

 sitting on his hind legs. Just round the Point Mr. A. H. S. 

 Lucas and I had a splendid morning, seaweed gathering. 

 Amongst the seaweeds floating around us we secured many 

 specimens of, to me, a very uncommon species, Bellotia 

 eriophorum, of which I had previously only found one poor 

 specimen at Ocean Grove some years ago. 



